I was wondering why Malay and Indian food was always so expensive (for example, Malay rice costs more than Chinese rice).

One person complained to me about $7.20 Nasi Padang with 2 meat dishes and 1 vegetable dish, while 1 meat dish, 1 vegetable dish and 2 extras cost me $6.20 (Chinese caifan would have cost $2.80 for the equivalent). On the Indian side, the cheapest Briyani I've had was $3.50, and then the piece of mutton was small and mostly bone.

Even if you ignore possible racial discrimination and factor in sometimes slightly bigger pieces of meat, this is a large price difference.

Someone said it was because pounding spices takes time, but I think the captive market is a better explanation.